UP: 212 teams to identify TB patients from October 14

KANPUR: As many as 212 health department teams will on a door-to-door visit in search of TB patients under the Intensive TB Patient Search Campaign from October 14.

The teams would examine health of as many as 5.66 lakh people and try to identify TB patients among them, said district TB officer Dr G K Mishra. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fixed a target to eradicate TB from India by 2025. Thus, the TB department would launch a campaign from October 14 to 23,2019.

Around 212 teams would knock the doors of their assigned localities and examine the health of 5.66 lakh residents. The teams would identify patients and would sent their sputum for lab examination to health centres. The centres would treat them as soon as they would be identified as TB patients, he added.

Addressing reporters, Dr Mishra said the campaign was in the second leg in current financial year in which 10% residents out of 50 lakh population would be examined. For this, 10 most vulnerable localities had been identified and distributed in 10 planning units.

Each team consisting of three persons, would visit 50 to 60 houses and collect sputum of possible patients. As many as 44 supervisors and 31 sector health officers would participate in this campaign. If lab examination revealed a patient, then medical supervisor would commence his treatment.

He added that one TB patient could infect at least 10 to 15 persons. Therefore, his treatment should be started immediately after identification.